Planning Board Minutes
Planning Board
April 16, 2019
Final
Approved May 21, 2019
Members Present: Bruce Healey, Chair; Regina Cockerill,Howard Maurer, Bill Weiler, Members; Deane Geddes, Alternate; Ken McWilliams, Advisor; Russell Smith, Ex-officio Member.
Mr. Healey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Healey stated Deanne Geddes will be a full voting member for tonight’s meeting, in place of Richard Wright.
Minutes:
The Board reviewed the minutes of March 19, 2019. Corrections were made.
Mr. Weiler made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected. Mr. Smith seconded the motion. All were in favor.
7:15 p.m. Public Hearing:
Proposed Amendments to the Planning Board’s Subdivision Regulations
Mr. Healey opened the public hearing for the proposed amendments to the Planning Board’s Subdivision Regulations.
There being no public present, Mr. Healey suspended the hearing for 30 minutes to be sure that the community has the opportunity to attend. They will resume after 7:50 p.m.
Mr. Weiler made a motion to suspend the hearing for 30 minutes or until a member of the public arrives. Mr. Smith seconded the motion. All were in favor.
At 7:50 p.m., Mr. Healey unsuspended the public hearing. There being no public input, Mr. Healey closed the public hearing.
Mr. Healey asked if there was any discussion about the proposed amendments. Ms. Cockerill asked why “the landowners who’sproperty is located within two hundred (200) feet of the land under consideration” was taken out. Mr. Weiler explained it was to match the zoning regulations.
Mr. Weiler made a motion to adopt the subdivision regulations. Mr. Geddes seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Tanya McIntire – Planned Unit Developments
Ms. McIntire introduced herself and explained which lot she owns near the Hay Estate. Mr. Healey explained it is the remains of a house and a farm on the right on Route 103A past the entrance to the Hay estate. Ms. McIntire explained it is a 5.5 acre, triangle shaped property that was never purchased by the Hay estate. She has owned it for a long time and has not done anything yet. She said she wants to make it profitable so she can keep it. Ms. McIntire thought that maybe she could build small houses on the lot and was not sure how to do it without subdividing the land. She looked at the planned unit developments in the zoning regulations in Newbury. She then read the definition of what a planned unit development is. She thought this was something that could be applied to this piece of property to offer more affordable housing to Newbury.
Mr. McWilliams asked Ms. McIntire if she has looked at the cluster ordinance in Newbury since it is probably more geared to what she proposes to do. He said that a planned unit development is usually for a larger piece of property, such as 100 acres. He said that she is in a zone that has a 2 acre zone that would only allow two houses on that property. Mr. Healey added that there is no zoning that supports this idea. Ms. McIntire suggested that maybe it would be multi-family residential houses. Mr. McWilliams said that the master plan only identifies higher density multi-family housing in certain areas of the town, not in the rural areas of the town. Mr. Weiler said that under Article 3, Paragraph 3 of RSA 674:21, Innovative Land Use Control, it makes clear that the controls have to be adopted in accordance with RSA 675, which is an adoption procedure. Mr. McWilliams explained they would need to develop the ordinance as a zoning amendment, notice it and have a public hearing. Ms. Cockerill thinks that these developments should have some services for the community living in these developments. She compared it to a small planned unit development in Stowe, VT. She said it works for them because they have services near the village services. This property does not have, or is near, any town services. Ms. McIntire thanked the Board for their time.
Other Business:
Personal Wireless Service Facilities (PWSF) – Sub Committee Progress - Mr. Healey asked Mr. McWilliams to give a progress report on the personal wireless service facility subcommittee meeting. Mr. McWilliams said they have been making good process and they have had another subcommittee meeting since the last Planning Board meeting. He said he was able to get in touch with the town counsel’s office to make sure they would support their overall approach and they indicated they would. He said that conceptually they are following the approach that the towns of Antrim and Salem have done to use the innovative land use controls in NH to utilize a conditional use permit process that is managed by the Planning Board. It would be in concert with the site plan review regulations. Mr. McWilliams said one of the things that they have encountered in updating this ordinance is that at this point since there are such extensive changes they are proposing to the ordinance that it makes sense that they look at this to repeal the existing ordinance and readopt the new one. He said if the Board members are agreeable to that, this is the approach the subcommittee is going to take. The next subcommittee meeting will be next week and would like to get materials out to the Board members a week or two before the May 21 meeting, in hopes of discussing at that May 21 meeting.
Shoreland Restoration Amendment Status – Mr. McWilliams said he contacted Mr. Stewart of the Conservation Commission and said that he had been working on some changes. Mr. Stewart had contacted DES and was running by them some of his language. Mr. McWilliams said that he asked Mr. Stewart if he could have another draft of the proposal by May 6 so the Board would have a couple weeks to review before the May 21 meeting. Mr. Stewart said he thought that was a reasonable time frame.
Request Letter to Mount Sunapee to Meet with Planning Board – Mr. Healey said he wanted to revisit sending the new management a letter explaining the Newbury regulations they should be adhering to at that property. He asked if the Board agreed to send them a letter and invite them to a future Planning Board meeting. The Board agreed to this idea.
Abutters Form – Mr. Healey discussed the current abutter’s form that the town expects our applicants to use. This abutters list was developed a long time ago. Mr. Healey has accepted some abutter’s lists that have been computer generated. Mr. Weiler asked if he checks on the computer generated lists. Mr. Healey said the land use coordinator does. Mr. Healey said he thinks this list is antiquated. Ms. Cockerill said some older folks might want the original form. Mr. Healey said people could have the option of doing either the original form or a computer generated form. Mr. Weiler asked if the computer know how to generate a list if the owner owns an abutting lot that you need to go to the next abutter. Mr. Healey said no, but the land use coordinator does check on every applicant to make sure it is done properly.
Mr. Smith made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Maurer seconded the motion. All in favor.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna S. Long
Recording Secretary
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